Press Releases 2011

U.S. – Thai CARAT Exercise 2011 Kicks off

May 11, 2011

Embassy of the United States of America, Bangkok, The U.S. - Thai
Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) 2011 officially starts
today, May 11, 2011. The exercise will be conducted from May 11 - 20,
2011 in Chonburi province.

The first phase of CARAT features events ashore, such as engineering
and damage control training exchanges, joint medical, dental and civic
action projects, and joint community service projects at local schools.
The at-sea phase is focused on developing maritime security
capabilities in areas such as maritime interdiction, information
sharing, combined operations at sea, patrols and gunnery exercises, and
anti-piracy and anti-smuggling exercises.

"We expect this will be a historic year for CARAT, with some of the
most complex training ever," said Rear Adm. Thomas Carney, Commander,
Task Force 73 and the Executive Agent for the exercise. "In the year
since our last exercise the Thai Navy successfully completed its first
anti-piracy mission as part of Task Force 151, and the aircraft carrier
Chakri Narubet responded to floods in the South to save Thai citizens
and international guests," he said.

"These are both scenarios we've trained for in past CARAT exercises,"
Carney added, "which underscores the value of the training the U.S. and
Thai Navies have developed together."

CARAT is a series of bilateral military exercises between the U.S.
Navy and the Armed Forces of Bangladesh, Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia,
Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand. Additionally,
Vietnam participates in a CARAT-like skills exchange.

For more information on the exercise, visit the CARAT Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/Exercise.CARAT. Media desiring to cover CARAT activities should contact Lt. Cmdr. Mike Morley, U.S. Navy Public Affairs at (65) 9617-8373 ltmikemorley@yahoo.com and Junior Lieutenant Savapat Satitsatian, Thai Navy Public Affairs at (66) 081-640-4121

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